Managing Oxalates Through Seasonal Eating

The crisp mornings and cooler air remind me that fall is settling in—a season of change and new beginnings. Just as the leaves shift color and the rhythms of life adjust with the school year, fall is a perfect time to reflect on how we can align our diets with the natural cycles around us.

One of the most overlooked benefits of eating seasonally is how it can help us better manage plant toxins—especially oxalates.

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What Are Oxalates?

oxalates under a microscope

Oxalates are naturally occurring plant compounds that bind to minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron, locking them away from your body and forming sharp crystals that can irritate tissues. In large or chronic amounts, oxalates are linked to kidney stones, joint pain, inflammation, and gut distress.

The tricky part? Many modern “superfoods”—spinach, almonds, beets, and swiss chard—are sky-high in oxalates. And thanks to global supply chains, they’re available year-round, meaning we can consume dangerous levels of oxalates without even realizing it.

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How Seasonal Eating Helps

Historically, this wasn’t possible. Our ancestors didn’t have access to spinach smoothies 365 days a year. Instead, spinach might have been available for just a few weeks in spring. Yes, that meant a short burst of oxalate exposure, but then it was gone—naturally limiting the risk of long-term buildup.

Eating seasonally helps by:

• Limiting chronic exposure to plant toxins by rotating foods in and out of the diet.

• Building diversity into meals, so no single plant (and its defenses) dominates your plate year-round.

• Balancing nutrients, since different seasons emphasize different foods—greens in spring, fruits in summer, roots and squashes in fall, preserved and fermented foods in winter.

• Strengthening the microbiome, by continually introducing new fibers, polyphenols, and ferments.

• Connecting you to your environment, syncing your diet to the climate, soil, and farmers around you.
  
  
  
  

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Practical Ways to Manage Oxalates Seasonally

• Greens: If you’re going to consume spinach or beet greens, do so only during their short seasons. Rotate to lower-oxalate options like romaine, bok choy, or—better yet—arugula.

• Roots: Sweet potatoes and beets are best in the fall. Later, swap for carrots, parsnips, or squash, which are lower in oxalates.

• Nuts & seeds: Treat them as occasional foods, or prepare them traditionally (soaking, sprouting, fermenting) to minimize plant toxins.

• Ferments: Transforming vegetables like cabbage into sauerkraut or cucumbers into pickles reduces plant toxins. While fermenting extends availability beyond peak harvest, the process itself adds detoxifying and nutrient-boosting benefits.

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Why It Matters Now

The modern food system has erased seasonality. In doing so, it has made chronic oxalate exposure—and the health issues it brings—almost inevitable. Reintroducing seasonal rhythms not only lowers oxalate risk but also makes food more flavorful, nourishing, and deeply connected.

One Step at a Time

Don’t feel like you have to change everything at once. Maybe your “one thing” this fall is swapping year-round spinach salads for hearty, low-oxalate seasonal greens. Or choosing squash and fermented vegetables instead of always reaching for sweet potatoes. Small, intentional steps—aligned with the seasons—are what create lasting change.

MSAK Chicken Salad on local, seasonal greens

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Community Makes It Easier

Another key part of this journey is community. Change can feel overwhelming or isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. Our online community, The Ancestral Table, exists to help you take these ideas from theory to practice. It’s a place to learn together, ask questions, share experiences, and get support in making intentional changes like eating seasonally and managing oxalates. Because reconnecting with real food is much easier—and far more enjoyable—when you’re not doing it alone.

Check out the September 15th recording which is all about oxalates! (coming soon)